Borscht is a very popular first course, the main ingredient of which is beets. It can be supplemented with cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, bell peppers, beans, zucchini and tomatoes. As a rule, borscht is cooked with meat, but this dish, cooked in mushroom broth or vegetable broth, is no less tasty.
Classic vegetable borsch
To prepare a classic vegetable borscht, you will need the following products:
- 1 beet;
- 100 g of cabbage;
- 30 g of carrots;
- 1 parsley root;
- 1 onion;
- 1 tbsp. l. flour;
- 1 tbsp. l. 3% vinegar;
- vegetable oil;
- greens (dill and parsley);
- ground black pepper;
- salt.
Wash the beets, peel and cut into strips. Then drizzle with vinegar and fry well, stirring occasionally, in vegetable oil. Finely chop the peeled onions, save in oil and add the carrots, cut into strips.
Put chopped cabbage in boiling water and cook it for 10 minutes. Then add parsley root cut into small pieces and fried vegetables (beets, carrots, onions), as well as a flour sauté. Season with salt and pepper, mix everything well and bring the borscht to readiness. Add finely chopped greens about a minute before switching off.
Classic lean borscht with mushrooms
To cook a classic lean borscht with mushrooms, you need to take:
- 300 g of fresh mushrooms;
- 100 g of prunes;
- 2 beets;
- 200 g of white cabbage;
- 1 carrot;
- 1 parsley root;
- 1 onion;
- 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
- 2 tbsp. l. tomato paste;
- 1 tbsp. l. vinegar;
- 1 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
- 2 bay leaves;
- 1/3 bunch of spicy herbs;
- ground black pepper;
- salt.
Peel and rinse the mushrooms. If borscht is cooked with champignons, due to the fact that these mushrooms absorb water like a sponge and lose their aroma, it is recommended not to wash them, but to wipe them thoroughly with a damp cloth. Then boil the mushrooms in salted water until tender, then remove with a slotted spoon, cool and chop, and strain the broth through a gauze filter.
Beets, carrots, parsley root and onions, peel, wash and cut into strips. Then put the prepared vegetables in a soup pan, add tomato paste, half a tablespoon of vinegar, granulated sugar, pour in a little strained mushroom broth and vegetable oil. Place the lid on the pot and simmer the vegetables over low heat. So that they do not burn, do not forget to mix everything from time to time and add broth if necessary.
Peel the cabbage of stuck leaves and chop. 15-20 minutes after the start of stewing, add cabbage to the pan with vegetables, mix everything well and simmer for another 20 minutes.
Rinse prunes and place with vegetables after stewing. Pour with mushroom broth, add mushrooms, pepper, salt, bay leaf, finely chopped herbs, remaining vinegar and cook the borscht for another 15 minutes.
